27 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adjustments, afraid, allegiance, backsliding, body, Boxing Day, celebrating, Christ's birth, Christmas, christmas day, condemnation, consider, courage, cowardly, criticism, deceiver, delight in doing evil, disobedience, divinely ordained, drunk or sober, earth, ever-faithful God, evil, evildoers, faithful, fall prey, Father's help, fellowship, foothold, Friday chant, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, get priorities straight, god, Gomorrah, good, heady days, hearken, heartfelt voice, heavens, hypocritical religion, Isaiah, jesus name, Judah, judge, judgement, justice, king, law of God, lawgiver, light, listen, LOVE, Lucifer, marrow of our souls, mind your business, no real heart for God, on our p's and q's, on the lookout, one true God, picture of Jesus, ponder, price to be paid, rebellious, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, right perspective, righteousness., ritual of religion, sacrifical system, salvation, Samuel, Saul, saviour, scripture, sincere, sinful, Sodom, soul, sovereign Lord, stand up, sufficient fun, superficial worship, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the body of Christ, the church, to obey is better than sacrifice, traps, trust, utilize time, vanish like smoke, warning, wax old, wisdom, Wonderful, worming, worship, worthless
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he shall save us.
And wonder of wonders – it’s Friday! ‘Yeah! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ come the joyous shouts. It’s the shortest workweek we’ve had for a while, since most of us had both Christmas and Boxing Days off. And some of us were even lucky enough to finagle Friday off too. (smile)
In any case, I think we deserve some time off because we’ve worked so hard during the earlier part of the year. However, as always, we need to utilize our time properly, get our priorities straight, so that we don’t fall prey to the artful and deceitful traps of the arch deceiver, Lucifer, who’s always looking for a way into our lives.
So to help us get the right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant. With one sincere and heartfelt voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, especially in these heady days of celebrating Christ’s birth, we need to be continually on the lookout, to be on our p’s and q’s for anything that will give the enemy even a tiny foothold in our lives, for that’s all he needs to start worming his evil way into the marrow of our souls, and disfiguring the beautiful picture of Jesus we have painted there. So let’s enjoy ourselves, but remember that drunk or sober, we must mind our business.
And with that age-old warning, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit, hopefully the last day for it. (smile) ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he shall save us.’
Oh mih breddren, I can’t get over how good and wonderful our God is to us nuh! Check this out. Earlier on in the week, I was wondering what Bit I would use for Christmas Day, since it’s the same basic stuff everybody uses and everybody knows. I wanted something different.
And lo and behold, a couple days before Christmas Day, the Lord led me to this scripture, with it lasting for several days, and most importantly having the king and saving aspect of it for His special day.
Wow! How can I not LOVE and worship Him eh? For He always meets my needs, lifts me out of any dark hole in which I’ve fallen, either literally or figuratively! Ah Friends, it’s so great to trust in the ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! But let’s get back to our Bit, before I get more sentimental and get carried away. (smile)
And finally, today we’re going to look at the ‘lawgiver’ aspect of our great and wonderful God. And the first scripture comes from Isaiah, re the call to repentance to the sinful, rebellious, backsliding nation of Judah. ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.’ (Is.1:10)
Yes Friends, the people of Judah were behaving like those of Sodom and Gomorrah. The notes of the scholars’ will further explain the situation.
‘1:10-15. The prophet addressed the people of Judah as if they were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. His criticism of their hypocritical religion should not be taken as a rejection of the divinely ordained sacrificial system. Rather, it is a condemnation of their superficial worship. (See the note on 1 Sam.15:22-23) They were merely going through the ritual of religion, with no real heart for God.’
And 1 Sam.15:22:23, is where Samuel is lecturing Saul for his disobedience, and talking about ‘to obey is better than sacrifice.’ The scholars’ note says: ’15:22-23. These verses reinforce the Old Testament viewpoint that religious ritual devoid of spiritual reality and of a life of total allegiance to a sovereign Lord is worthless. (cf. Ps.40:6-8; Is.1:10-20; Mic.6:8).’
Unfortunately though Friends, we’re seeing the very same thing happening today, possibly to an even more disturbing degree. Evil has really gotten out of hand; it controls the world, with nobody, or no bodies strong and willing enough to rein it in.
But my fellow believers, that’s a big part of our job! As the church, the body of Christ here on earth, we are supposed to exemplify righteousness. But sadly, too many of us are either too afraid and/or cowardly to stand up against the evildoers, or we’re simply joining with them because we too delight in doing evil.
However my brethren, let’s remember that there’s always a price to be paid for evil doing; a substantial one too. Listen as our ever-faithful God, through His faithful prophet Isaiah, calls the faithful to courage.
‘Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed (go forth) from me, and I will make my judgement (justice) to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles (coastlands) shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is.51:4-6)
Oh Friends, on those indisputably true and very serious words of our Creator, we’ll end today!
Please, please, let’s ponder them, let’s consider how they fit into our individual lives, and then, with the Father’s help, let’s make whatever adjustments are necessary for us to fall in line with them. For that is wisdom of the greatest magnitude! Much LOVE!
…to whom shall we look for righteousness… but to Him who created us…and gave us the law…
26 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, almighty god, Amen, beatiful soul, believe in God, believers, birth, Boxing Day, business owners, caring, celebrate God's Love, Christmas, Christmas tree, cold, colt, Creator, cross, dark, daughter, depressing news, disatrous situations, earthly pilgrimage, Easter, Emergency, eternal life, evergreen, exalted position, faith, faithfully fulfilled, forgiveness, G.T.A, God will stop at nothing, God-given ability, grace, guide and leader, hands that reach to touch, hanging on a tree, hearts that hurt, help, Holy Name, holy spirit, humble, inspiring and encouraging words, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, judge, just, king, lack of access, lack of power, lawgiver, life-giving, lift us up, Lord, lose one's mind, LOVE, lowly, manger, merchants, mercy, Ms. Wynne, negative, omnipotent force, outstrecthed arms, Palm Sunday, physical damage, pointing, praying, Premier, province wide, pushing on, quiet rest, reaching, rejoice, riding an ass, righteous, road-weary, rough time, sacrificial work, sales, salvation, saviour, Scarborough area, scriptures, setbacks, sharing, shoppers, significant difference, solid, sparkling, strong rooted in god's love, sturdy, suffering, The Christmas season, thoughts of God, three days, to save my soul, travel-worn, treasures, tree branches, trust, twinkling Christmas tree, two thousand years, wayfarers, whole world, young man, Zechariah, Zion
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he shall save us.
And then it was Boxing Day! Yes Friends, most of the Christmas hoopla has died down now. Thank the Lord! The Christmas season itself is wonderful, but all the unnecessary fuss can get to be a bit much.
Unfortunately though, some 60-70 thousand people, primarily in the Scarborough area of the G.T.A, are still without power, and many trees and other impediments are still to be removed from the roads to provide access.
It’s certainly been a very rough time for those people, and though some are still complaining about the refusal to declare a state of Emergency, the Premier of the Province, Ms. Wynne, says that isn’t necessary because all the people who would have been called in province wide, are already here helping out.
But that’s cold comfort for those who still don’t have power. I spoke to a friend last night, she and her husband, both in their 70’s were without power for almost 72 hours over the weekend. At one point she thought she was about to lose her mind. Imagine two people in their 70’s in a cold, dark house for almost three days nuh!
Ah mih people, it’s truly been a harrowing Christmas for many people in the province. And sadly, on top of the ice, there’s been some snowfall over the last couple days, not a great deal, but enough to make matters worse. Please continue praying for us and helping in whatever way you can.
And another group that has certainly suffered is the business owners and merchants, since many of them couldn’t open because of lack of power and possibly physical damage to their properties. And even for those who were able to open, the number of shoppers must have been seriously curtailed due to the latter’s disastrous situations.
To spoil their Christmas even further, today, Boxing Day, usually Canada’s biggest sales and shopping day, has seen its importance steadily eroded as we try to compete with the U.S. Thanksgiving Black Friday sales pitch. So the merchants are seriously suffering, any which way you take it.
However my brethren, here’s something to lift us up after all that negative and depressing news. It’s a Christmas Prayer, from the Robert H. Schuller Hour of Power Devotional. I only read it after I wrote the Bit yesterday, otherwise I would have included it. But it’s still the Christmas season, so it’s still very appropriate.
And again I have to wonder how this prayer seems so new and unfamiliar to me, although I’ve been reading this devotional for a number of years.
Anyway, it inspirationally says: ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest.
I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree.
I pray my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving; solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen forever: Amen.’
What inspiring and encouraging words my people! Though I had to chuckle at the end, because a lot of pines and other trees around the Province, certainly aren’t standing tall and sturdy today.
But the significant difference is that we believers, despite any setbacks, still have the God-given ability to stand sturdy, strong and deeply rooted in God’s amazing LOVE, becoming truly beautiful souls.
And we find that possible because of scriptures like our Bit. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he shall save us.’
Yes my brethren, since Almighty God, the Creator and most omnipotent force in the universe is our guide and leader, we can stand strong in the power of His Holy Name, through the current working of His Holy Spirit, and the sacrificial work His Son, Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, did for us two thousand years ago!
That just goes to show how strong and powerful is our God! Two thousand years later, He’s still alive and kicking, and pushing on as strong as ever. Wow!
In fact He’s becoming stronger every day, as more and more people come to recognize His tremendous power, LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness, and thus believe in Him, put their trust and faith in Him, for help in their earthly pilgrimage.
Ah Friends, it’s time to close. I had envisioned getting to the ‘lawgiver’ aspect of our Bit, but that obviously wasn’t meant to be today. However, I’ll leave us with a wonderful scripture on the ‘king and saving’ aspect that I could not include yesterday.
Listen to these beautiful and encouraging words from the prophet Zechariah, as he prophesies about Zion’s future king. ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just (righteous), and having salvation; lowly (humble), and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’ (Zech. 9:9)
And we all know that scripture was faithfully fulfilled on Palm Sunday!
So fellow believers, we’ve celebrated, sorry, we’re still celebrating the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, but we indeed have the next big occasion to look forward to, Easter, when He truly did His saving work and definitely earned His exalted position as our Lord and King. Much LOVE!
…to whom do we owe the treasures of salvation and eternal life…JESUS CHRIST…what a wonderful SAVIOUR…!
25 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: angel Gabriel, annals of history, bad, Bethlehem, birth of our Saviour, blessed, carpenter's family, Christ the Lord, Christmas, conspiracy, Counselor, Everlasting Father, favour, fear not, fellow believers, forgiving, Galilee, glorious night, glory hallelujah, good, good tidings, gospel, grateful appreciation, great joy, hail, Hark the herald angels, heavenly hosts, heavenly song, highly favoured, Holy Ghost, House of David, immaculate conception, Immanuel, incarnate son of god, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, Joseph, Judea, judge, judgement, justice, king, lawgiver, light and life, LOVE, Luke, magnanimous, manger, mankind, Mary, memorable moment, merciful, mercy, Messiah, mighty god, momentous, Nazareth, newborn king, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, peace on earth, ponder, praising God, prince of peace, promise, pronouncement, reason for the season, reconciliation, rejoicing, righteousness., salvation, saviour, second birth, shepherds, sign, singing, son of god, Son of the Highest, throne of David, uproar, virgin, Wonderful, zeal of the Lord
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
And the congregation raised their voices in heavenly song: ‘Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcile. Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn king.’
Yes my beautiful fellow believers, on this awesome day, some two thousand years ago, our King, Jesus Christ was born! And all God’s people gave a mighty and grateful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
What a momentous and memorable moment that was in the annals of history! So momentous, that since then it’s been creating an unbelievable uproar amongst mankind; some bad, but most of it good.
No wonder the prophet Isaiah lustily declared centuries before, in our Bit: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.’
And today we’ll bypass the ‘lawgiver’ aspect of our God, and instead scan the Good Book for appropriate scriptures that proclaim Him as ‘our king, he will save us.’
And what better place to begin than with the everlasting promise of God’s mercy and salvation. Hear Isaiah tell it as it is: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:6-7)
And the zeal of the Lord did perform it my brethren! As all the other promises of our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, magnanimous, merciful, and forgiving God, this came to pass on that fateful Christmas night two millennia ago, when the holy, sinless, incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born to a poor carpenter’s family in Bethlehem of Judea.
But yuh know what Friends, even before that magnificent pronouncement, previous to an Assyrian invasion of Israel, Isaiah had specified the way that our King, our Messiah, would be born. ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us).’ (Is.7:14.)
And did this all come about? OF COURSE! The gospel of Luke tells us that ‘the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed, engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him she was troubled at his saying, and cast (considered) in her mind what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus (Yahweh Is Salvation).
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall over-shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:26-35)
And so it was said…and so was it done! We all know the story of how Joseph was told about the immaculate conception in a dream and went on to marry Mary, and how they went up to Bethlehem to register for a census and how Jesus was born that night in a stable, because there was no room in the inn for them.
And what a glorious night that was my brethren in ole Bethlehem, for all the heavenly host of angels were singing and rejoicing over the birth of our Saviour, and joyfully declared to the shepherds who were out watching their flocks: ‘Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:10-14)
Ah mih people how mighty and faithful is our God! For all that was prophesied centuries before came together on that first Christmas night to begin the process of our salvation, of our reconciliation to the heavenly Father, through the birth, life, and sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day, having defeated the hosts of Hades, to claim His rightful throne, His rightful kingdom, both here on earth and in heaven above. A kingdom that shall NEVER END!
So let’s go home singing His praises nuh. ‘Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.’
Great and faithful is our God my people, so please, in grateful appreciation, let’s spend some time today pondering on the mighty promises He made, and oh so faithfully fulfilled. That’s the true reason for this exciting Christmas season. Much LOVE!
…blessed is the season…which engages the whole world…in a conspiracy of LOVE!… (Hamilton Wright Mabie – 1846-1916 – American essayist editor, critic, lecturer)
21 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ability, Abraham, admissible evidence, assurance, Athens, authority, balancing act, being fearful, black and white, blatant, boggles the imagination, boldfaced, Bruh Paul, brutality, calamitous state, called to account, Christian, Christmas, confidence, conscience, consitent, corruption, crime, crimes against humanity, culprits, destruction, disobedient, economics, emotional, evil, followers, God-given responsibility, Godhead, good, greed, help, homelessness, hunger, ignorance, incompetence, Jesus, judged, judgement, judgement day, justice, justice of God, letting voices be heard, life, light of the world, loss of jobs, LOVE, marginalization, Mars Hill, mental, mercy, military presence, needy, newspapers, obedient, offspring of God, ordained, parable, pay heed, petty excuses, physcial tiredness, piddling wages, plead, police, politics, poor getting poorer, poverty, prayer, public protests, raised from the dead, relationships, resistance, retribution, rich getting richer, righteousness., rule the roost, rumours of war, salt of the earth, secret thing, selfishness, serious action, Sodom, sorry picture, standards, standing up to wrongdoers, step up to the plate, strife, talents, technological prowess, throw the book, under a bushel, understanding, ungodly, unhappiness, unknown God, walk earhtly paths, wars, wisdom, wrongdoings
Ecclesiastes 12:14. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s tired and unhappy this Saturday morning before Christmas. It’s not physical tiredness nuh, but mental and emotional unhappiness. But it’s all my fault, for I fell behind in my newspaper reading this week, then unwisely tried to catch up on several days reading, all at once. From now on though, I’m going to try my best to stay current, because the news from one day is bearable, but for several…no way Jose!
And what a sorry picture it all painted. We start of with wars and rumours of war, strife in almost every area. Then we have economic and political incompetence and corruption all over the world. And not only that, but the boldfaced and blatant manner in which these crimes against humanity are being carried out, boggles the imagination, especially when very little, if any retribution is being meted out to the culprits.
At least in earlier times we had the good sense to hide our wrong-doings, but not today. Today the greed and selfishness is all out in the open, nobody seems to have a conscience anymore. And in the balancing act that’s life, it only means that the rich are noticeably getting richer, while the poor are not only getting poorer, but also that their numbers are daily increasing at an alarming rate, what with the great loss of jobs and the piddling wages most of the remaining ones now pay.
And since there’s only one pie to be split up amongst several groups, if one group unilaterally increases their portion, then obviously all the others will have theirs curtailed. And consequently, we end up with astronomical rates of marginalization, abject poverty, homelessness, hunger, escalating crime and public protests, more police and military presence and brutality, etc. etc. And who would ever have expected such a calamitous state in a world that is at the height of its technological prowess eh?
Ah mih people, when and where will it all end eh? I guess the Lord alone knows. But we, His people down here on earth also have a serious, God-given responsibility to help, to do our best not to let matters deteriorate any further. And we can only do this by taking serious action; a combination of prayer, letting our voices be heard publicly, standing up to the wrongdoers, and helping those in need.
That’s what Jesus did, and what He fully expects of anyone who calls him or herself a Christian. But there again my fellow believers, we’re not truly living up to the standards that Jesus desires of His followers, and are allowing the ungodly to rule the roost without much resistance. But Friends, please, let’s listen to, and pay serious heed to the words of our Bit. ‘For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’
Yes my brethren, all our actions will be judged. And when the Lord asks us why we didn’t do better with the talents He gave us like the servants in Jesus’ parable, (Matt.18:23-35) what are we going to tell Him eh? Remember too that ignorance will not be admissible evidence. So it’s full time, or rather overdue time that we get our act together and do something concrete for the world, instead of making petty excuses and being fearful, or being selfish and greedy like the world around us.
Remember we’re supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, but it seems that in fits of anxiety we’re hiding our lights under a bushel and the salt in us has become seriously diminished and thus useless. But Friends, we need to step up to the plate like so many others have done before us, and we’ll use this example of Bruh Paul in our Bit, as he stood up on Mars hill in Athens, explaining to its citizens about the altar they had erected with the inscription; ‘TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.’ (Acts 17:23)
‘Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead (Divine Nature) is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven (shaped) by art and man’s device (devising). And the times of this ignorance God winked at (overlooked); but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; wherefore he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.’ (Acts 17:29-31)
And we’ll close with some notes from the scholars’ re the Justice of God. ’17:31. The justice of God is the active extension of the holiness of God into matters of decision. It implies that God has the authority and ability to establish the standard for all relationships and that He will be consistent in relating to His obedient and disobedient creatures. The justice of God is both legislative and distributive.
Illustration: When Abraham attempted to prevent the destruction of Sodom, he appealed to God’s justice: he knew that the Judge of all the earth would do right (Gen.18:25). Application: So today, everyone can have confidence that God will deal with him justly, but the believer may additionally plead God’s mercy. (First Ref. Gen.3:14; Primary Ref. Acts 17:31; cf. Mark 10:18)’
There we have it Friends, in black and white! Now we can’t say we didn’t know, and anyway, as we said above, ignorance will not stand as a plausible plea on judgement day. Therefore let’s come together, TODAY, and clean up our acts, so that the just judge, on judgement day, will not have to throw the book at us. Much LOVE my people!
…and may the Lord grant us wisdom and understanding…to walk earthly paths…that will not bring harsh judgement…when He calls us to account…
01 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledged sin, anger, arrows, awesome truth, Black Friday, bones waxed old, brave, Bruh David, caught up, chasten, Christmas, Christmas shopping, chutzpah, cleanse, confess our sins, confession of sins, constancy of effort, Cousin Sol, covers sinss, day and night, death, deceit, deity, disastrous consequences, displeasure, divine instruction, divine wisdom, eternal life, ever-LOVING God, faithful, faithfully, follow Jesus, forgive, forgiven, forsake sins, friends, get lost, gift of God, glory hallelujah, godly promise, godly woman, gracious, groaning, guile, happiness, haunt us, heavenly Father, heavy burden, help, holy, hoopla, idolatry, iniquity, Jesus Christ, Jesus' orbit, just, merciful, mercy, New Hampshire, New Year, New Year's resolution, peace, penitent heart, personal witness, physical, Plymouth, Praise the Lord, prayer, preparations, problems, prosper, psychological, rebuke me not, rest, righteous God, salvation, sanctity of the family, Sears store, shopping, shopping blitz, sorrow, spirit, store owner, stray, thank you, thanksgiving, the world's orbit, time, transgression, truthful, undeserving sinners, unrighteousness, vitality, wages of sin, worship, wrongdoings
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Oh Friends, can you believe it’s already the first day of December? The days sure are flying fast! Soon it will be Christmas, and then the New Year! And it seems that just recently we were cavorting and carrying on during the lazy, hazy days of summer. (smile)
That brings to mind that New Year’s Resolution we made to follow Jesus more closely in this year 2013. Time to check on it again my brethren, and do whatever is necessary to fulfill it.
Sorry, but you can’t truly fulfill it in just one month, since following Jesus is a process built on time and constancy of effort. That’s why I’ve been encouraging us to check on it at the beginning of each month.
And now that Christmas is upon us, meaning we’ll be busy with all the preparations and shopping, all that stuff is very liable to take us out of Jesus’ orbit and into that of the world. And talking about shopping, let’s chalk up one for Jesus and the sanctity of the family!
It seems that a brave and godly woman in Plymouth, New Hampshire, a Sears Homestore owner, refused the Head Office’s request to open at 7.p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, citing her support for families getting together on such a notable holiday.
And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt, ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!’ Yes Friends, our God should indeed be praised for that bit of chutzpah on the store owner’s part.
And the commercial nonsense is getting worse daily, for whereas Black Friday usually meant stores opening at midnight, they’re now opening early on Thanksgiving evening, cutting even deeper into the celebrations. Ah Lord eh!
And even sadder is the fact that there’s no break between the Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping blitz, it’s all one concerted effort now. Steups! But I’ve got to say a big thank you to our God, because personally I don’t get caught up in all the hoopla.
However, the good thing about it all, is if we do stray, get lost and caught up in the idolatry of the worldly events, we have a way out in the godly promise of our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Now yesterday we were mainly concerned about what John had to say on the matter, today though, we’ll look at what other figures in scripture have to say about the confession of sins.
And we’re going to begin with the wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13)
Oh my people, that’s such an awesome truth! For when we try to hide our sins, they usually come back to haunt us at the worse time possible. As the old people would say, whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light, with more disastrous consequences too. That’s another awesome truth, to which most of us can testify from personal experience.
Now let’s turn to a man who knew all about sins, righteousness, confessions and cleansing, Bruh David. Listen to him in Psalm 32; The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not (does not charge his account with) iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).
When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (vitality) is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.’ (Ps.32:1-5)
Oh Friends, I’m sure that many of us can say the same thing, if we’re truthful. (smile) For when our wrongdoings weigh us down, our spirits usually become deflated and we just don’t feel right in the sight of our holy and righteous God.
But please note Bruh David’s solution, the only one that will bring us any peace; confession of our known iniquity to our heavenly Father. For as our Bit so rightly, faithfully and LOVINGLY declares: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Ah mih breddren, I can’t help but note again, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship!’ And for being so gracious and merciful to us undeserving sinners, let’s give Him a big, loud, grateful and hearty; ‘Thank You Lord! You’re the BEST! And that’s no lie Friends!
And these comments from the scholars just corroborate my feelings. ‘Psalm 32. The psalm describes the blessedness of forgiveness as no other does. This is the theme of especially the first five verses, which include the happiness of the forgiven man (vv.1-2), the physical and psychological effects of unconfessed sin (vv.2-4), and the simple remedy of confession to receive God’s forgiveness (v.5). On this basis David can experience prayer (vv.6-7), divine instruction (vv.8-9), and personal witness (vv.10-11).
And we’ll end with some more prayerful words from Bruh David, these from Psalm 38; The prayer of a penitent heart, which we recently covered, but is certainly worth hearing again. ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me (pierce me deeply), and thy hand presseth me sore (down). There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest (peace) in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me… For I am ready to halt (fall), and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin…. Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.’ (Ps.32:1-4, 17-18, 21-22)
So Friends, we know our problems, and we know how to fix them, so please let’s get on with it nuh. That’s not only divine wisdom, but it also warms and pleases the heart of our wonderful, ever-LOVING God. Much LOVE!
…for the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God… is eternal life…through (in) Jesus Christ… (Rom.6:23)
25 Dec 2012
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Christ the Lord, Christmas, Christmas presents, Everlasting Father, glory hallelujah, God's LOVE, good news, grace of God, holy spirit, Hugs, Jesus, Jesus saves, joy, Merry Christmas, mighty god, mind yuh business, prince of peace, Prosperous New Year, reason for the season, saviour, snow, Wonderful Counselor
Luke 2:11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012!
Well Friends, neighbours, fellow believers, and also you unbelievers, it’s CHRISTMAS DAY! Glory Hallelujah! At last the big day that’s been causing so much confusion in our already confused world has arrived. Merry Christmas to one and all! And believe me, the ole fella is shaking it a tad on the rough side this morning, because I went to church last night and didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning. And when the Lord woke me up, some half an hour ago, at minutes to six, I really didn’t feel like getting up. But in good Jesus fashion, I forced myself to get up, because there was the Lord’s work to be done, a Bit to be written. Even now, I’m still a bit dozy, waiting for my two helpers, the caffeine and the Holy Spirit to kick in and raise my level of awareness. (smile) Chuh! I just turned around to take a sip of coffee and found that it all gone, so I have to settle for some water. Anyway Friends, as usual, the Lord’s in my corner and is guiding my every word, so I’m not worried. He’s so wonderful that He led me to Today’s Bit, as soon as I opened the Good Book, and has already shown me what He wants me to say, so it’s only left up to me to pull myself together and do His will. And since I try my best to be obedient, here goes. First off, let me say that I got two wonderful Christmas presents last night. The first one being my two daughters going to church with me. And a loud and grateful ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ rises up to heaven. I had asked them earlier on to go with me, but since they hem and hawed, I just decided to go by myself. But lo and behold, when I was ready to leave, they duly informed that they were coming. How can I look a gift horse in the mouth eh! Then on the way to church, I asked what had made them come. They informed me that that was my Christmas present, and gave me a big ‘Merry Christmas Daddy!’ Now I certainly would never look askance at my daughters going to church with me, for whatever reason. Then, wonder of wonders, when I got to church, I saw a long lost parishioner, one of my favourites, who had stopped coming to church for a while. Now don’t be jealous the rest of you, cause I have plenty favourites at church. (smile) But my heart definitely leapt for joy, and I said a heartfelt, ‘Thank You Lord!’ because he’s been an integral part of our leadership group, and it certainly hasn’t been the same these many months without him. Welcome back James! The Lord definitely moved you to return to the fold of St. Francis at a most appropriate time. Now what else did I want to say…? Oh yeh! On coming out of church after midnight, we discovered some wet snow gently falling. The Lord was obviously covering all His bases, giving the snow enthusiasts a little bit, so that when they sang about a white Christmas, they wouldn’t be lying. And strangely enough, there’s still a smattering of the white stuff in the area, so those who like it will wake up to it, though I guess it will all be melted away by lunch time. One more thing before we get into our Bit. Last week a fellow church member gave some of us a wonderful flyer explaining ‘WHY GOD MADE HUGS!’ AndI think it’s very worthwhile to be shared on this blessed day. Please say with me: ‘Everyone was meant to share God’s all-abiding LOVE and care; He saw that we would need to know a way to let these feelings show. So God made hugs – a special sign, A symbol of His LOVE divine, A circle of our open arms To hold in LOVE and keep out harm. One simple hug can do its part To warm and cheer another’s heart. A hug’s a bit of heaven above That signifies His perfect LOVE.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! That’s exactly why Jesus came to earth – because of the Father’s great LOVE for us. And at the bottom of the flyer, there’s a coupon that’s good for one free hug, along with the admonition, ‘Hug someone you LOVE today!’ Please, please my people, let’s ensure that we do that on this special day nuh. If possible, hug many, but please hug at least one person today, show them God’s true LOVE, which is what the season is all about, as our Bit so nicely puts it: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ Oh mih breddren, that’s definitely the best thing that ever happened to our world! Isaiah prophesied it so beautifully centuries before it was fulfilled. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is.9:6) And all those things surely describe Jesus to a T. But the last one, ‘Prince of Peace’ is what He particularly wants us, His followers, to focus on. He desires us to be peaceful souls and not the snarky, resentful, jealous, greedy people we can too often be. And according to our Bit, Jesus is also our ‘Saviour.’ Listen to how the angel of the Lord explained Mary’s predicament to her betrothed, Joseph. ‘And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS (SAVIOUR): for he shall save his people from their sins.’ (Matt.1:21) Now hear the scholars’ timely comments on that verse. ‘Call his name JESUS: The name of the child Jesus (Heb. Yehoshua) means “Jehovah Saves.” This points to the very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world – to save sinners. Placed early in the New Testament, this statement becomes the foundational concept of the gospel. Jesus, by His very name and nature, is the Saviour.’ Yes Friends, Jesus surely did save us from the penalty of death, which we so rightly deserved for our abominable sins, and for which we should all be eternally grateful. And as to being ‘Christ the Lord,’ listen to Peter tell it in his famous speech at Pentecost. ‘For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until, I make thy foes thy footstool…Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ (Acts 2:34-36) There you have it Friends, the fulfillment of the scripture. So let not your hearts be troubled. Our God is still on His throne running things. But please, please Friends, on this Christmas Day of 2012, let’s all take time out from all the fun and frolic, to have a quiet moment and seriously ponder, and sincerely appreciate the true reason for this glorious season; the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Now go and have a good time with your friends and families, but remember, DRUNK OR SOBER, MIND YUH BUSINESS! Don’t give the evil, ever-lurking Beelzebub even one iota of a chance to disrupt the proceedings and steal your joy. MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR! Much LOVE!…what a truly wonderful world this would be…if we took the joy, the good news and the grace of God…through Jesus Christ…out into the world everyday…instead of just at Christmas time…
21 Dec 2012
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: always-lurking enemy, blessed, bounden duty, celebration of christmas, Christmas, eternal life, exaltation, Friday chant, fulfillment of prophecy, he that believes, magnify the Lord, reason for the season, remembrance of his mercy, rich rewards, salvation, saviour jesus christ, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the birth of Jesus, the Magnificat
Luke 1:45. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and many people around the world are joyfully shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But many in the northern climes are not shouting that this morning. Instead, they’re crying out ‘Oh Lord, why this bad weather?’ Yes Friends, the first serious snowstorm of the season has already lashed the U.S. Midwest, causing all sorts of damage and inconvenience, and it’s moving north to Canada. Some places in Northern Ontario and Quebec have already seen it’s hideous face and felt its forceful blow. Meanwhile, we in Southern Ontario are experiencing freezing rain, which can change to anything later in the day. So please be careful my brethren when you take to the roads today, for if they’re not snow covered, they will most likely be icy. Take your time and drive with extra care and caution. It’s only four more days to the great celebration of Christmas, the Birth of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You don’t want to miss it completely, or be lying in the hospital, all broken up, unable to enjoy it. So again, please drive and also walk safely. And as always, to help us get the weekend started in proper perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant, in loud, serious voice. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes my people, we need to be somewhat circumspect about our actions over the weekend, especially this long Christmas holiday, where some people might not be going back to work until next Thursday. Remember that drunk or sober, we have to mind our business and don’t give the always-lurking enemy any chance to invade our innermost parts and cause confusion, cause that’s what he’s all about. Stealing our joy and putting us in God’s bad book is his delight. So let’s do our best to remember the real reason for the season, the holidays, as so many now neutrally call it; the Birth of Jesus is what this time is about, not shopping and mere merry-making. Please treat the time with the reverence and solemn esteem it deserves. And today we’ll continue with Mary’s Story. Our Bit though comes from words spoken by her cousin Elisabeth, when Mary visited her. Let’s listen to them closely, and let them take root in our hearts and minds, for they are very important. ‘And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ Ah Friends, that statement, though at the time pertained particularly to Mary, today it applies to all of us. For blessed are all those who believe, and not necessarily what the Lord has told us, but believe on Jesus’ Name period. As Jesus said to the doubting disciple Thomas, who refused to believe that Jesus was truly resurrected until he touched the wounds in His side and palms. ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ (John 20:29) That’s a blessing for all us believers today my brethren, for we never saw Jesus back then, but we believe. Please, let’s keep on believing, because Jesus is still alive and working for us all. And if we don’t faint, don’t give up, in due course, we’ll receive the rich rewards of salvation and eternal life that He’s offering to all who believe and stand strong in faith. And we’ll end today with one of the many beautiful songs of praise found in the Good Book. It’s Mary’s joyous anthem to a great God, who looked down on her with unspeakable blessings and mercy. It’s called ‘The Magnificat.’ And according to the scholars, it’s based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate). And since Jesus’ coming was in fulfillment of Old Testament promises, it’s suitably rich in Old Testament imagery. ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 1:46-55) Oh Friends, imagine a teenaged girl conjuring up that wonderful imagery and writing such moving words two thousand years ago nuh! The Holy Spirit must surely have been with her, as he is with us today. So let’s see if we can rise to that level of faith, especially this Christmas season. It’s our bounden duty as believers. Much LOVE!…true belief is not only an internal process…but must also be shown by appropriate external actions…
20 Dec 2012
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blessed, Christmas, crying in the wilderness, faith, fruit of the womb, great honour, highly favoured, Holy Ghost, John the Baptist, joy and gladness, new blessings, new day, new forgiveness, new mercies, saviour jesus christ, the Birth of Christ, Zechariah
Luke 1:28. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And then it was Thursday, Friends! Another bright and sparkling morning with brand new blessings, mercies and forgiveness for God’s people. And they all rose up with a mighty shout of joy, praising and thanking their heavenly Father for allowing them to see another soulful day on His wonderful creation called Earth. It’s also only 5 days till Christmas Day, when we celebrate the incarnate Birth of our gracious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, which ushered in the most welcome, beneficial and amazing time in human history. And it’s the way that Birth came about that we’re still talking about today. Our Bit got the whole thing moving. ‘And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ And Mary was really blessed my people, to be chosen by Almighty God to be the earthly Mother to His Son. What greater honour could there be eh? None really. And in her behaviour and attitude she shows some of the reasons why she was chosen. Now please note that some months before the angel came to Mary to tell her about her remarkable blessing, he visited her relative by marriage, Zechariah, a priest in the temple, with his own good news. ‘And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.’ (Luke 1:11-12) Yuh see the difference Friends, in just the physical response to Mary’s breaking news. Zechariah, the older and supposedly wiser man, a big time priest in God’s house, was afraid, while the young, inexperienced girl Mary, was simply concerned about the machinations of the promise, it’s human impossibility. ‘But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zechariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children (sons) of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:13-17) Yes Friends, another miracle was being wrought, so that the forerunner, the messenger, ‘the one crying in the wilderness,’ re repentance and salvation, would be born. ‘And Zechariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken (advanced) in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings (this good news). And behold, thou shalt be dumb (mute), and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season (own time).’ (Luke 1:18-20) And he was dumb until John the Baptist was born. Notice the difference in reactions: Zechariah couldn’t believe what was still humanly possible, while Mary believed without much hesitation or resistance what was humanly impossible. Now tell me whose faith was greater? Mary’s of course! And what does she do after the angel leaves? She goes and visits her cousin, the hitherto barren Elisabeth, now some six months pregnant with John the Baptist. And check out this intense scene, when Mary enters Elisabeth’s house and greets her. ‘And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:41-45) Oh Friends, don’t you just LOVE how our God operates in such mysterious and interesting ways? Everything He does, ties in with a purpose. No loose strings are left to mar the process. And what I like about the story is that Elisabeth seems to have believed it without any qualms either, instead rejoicing in the wonderful blessing that was being poured down on her young cousin Mary. And I guess that’s why Jesus hung out with more women in his day, than was normal for a Jewish man; He recognized the greater power in them to accept supernatural things, which put another way, means greater faith. Note, He never had to badger them to believe, as He had to do with the disciples, even though they walked with Him every day and saw all the unbelievable stuff He did. Just look at the faith shown by Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters, when Jesus showed up several days after his death. ‘Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.’ (John 11:21-22) Mary’s reaction was the same; ‘Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.’ (John 11:32) Ah mih breddren, enough for us to contemplate today. But remember, whatever we do, or whatever happens to us as believers in Jesus Christ, it all comes down to faith; the level of our faith will either make us weak and fearful like Zechariah, or strong and confident like the women we’ve been talking about. That’s why Jesus talked about faith so much in His ministry. Re trusting one master: ‘O ye of little faith?’ (Matt.6:30) Re Cornelius, the Roman centurion: ‘Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’ (Matt.8:10) Re unbelief: ‘for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’ (Matt.17:20) So please my people, let’s consider all these words of faith we’ve heard today, and wisely use them to build up our own. That’s the way Jesus would have it. Much LOVE!…but without faith…it is impossible to please him…for he that cometh to God…must believe that he is…and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him… (Heb.11:6)
13 Dec 2012
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: charity, Christmas, commercialism, devotion, discipline, earthly pilgrimage, faithful God, fearful night, fly on eagles' wings, freedom, gloryfying God, gratefulness, hearts, hypocrites, jesus birth, lifted burdens, lips, motives, night of darkness, omnipotent god, opportunity, safely guiding, strength, thanks, the Spirit of Christmas, true purpose of Christmas, wisdom
Matthew 15:8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in the life! So let’s give some well-deserved thanks and praise to our wonderful Maker nuh, for so safely and selflessly bringing us through another night of darkness and nothingness. And all the children of Almighty God raised their hands, heads, hearts and eyes to heaven and gratefully declared: ‘Thank You Father for seeing us safely through the dark and fearful night. Thank You for watching over us while we slept and rejuvenated our souls and bodies. We also thank You for now holding our hands and safely guiding us as we journey through this long and crazy day, filled with all sorts of distractions and temptations. But we’re not afraid, because You’ve promised us safekeeping on our earthly pilgrimage, and You’re a faithful God, who honours all of His promises. We thank You and Bless Your Holy Name, as we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of Your Son, Jesus’ birth in the days to come. Help us to consider and meditate on the true purpose of His birth and the season, while rejecting the materialism that the world heaps on it. We ask that You give us the strength and wisdom to continually glorify You down here on earth. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.’ Ah mih people, I have to chuckle, because I never intended to write such a long prayer, but as I wrote, the words and feelings just kept coming, so I had no choice. You know it’s the Christmas Season, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus was born, but I’m just not feeling it. I never really get too emotional over it anyway, but I guess my current lack of enthusiasm stems from the fact that we were away for a couple of weeks, then have been sick since we got back. It should improve shortly though since we are now putting up some decorations and doing some of the other ‘Christmassy’ things. And Friends, as we prayed above, please let’s truly understand and display the real reason for the season; the glorious birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and appreciate it for the magnificent moment it truly was. Let’s not allow the commercialism that’s been overshadowing it to divert us from understanding what it’s all about. Let’s try and put that feeling of joy and importance of a Saviour into our children too, and not let them think that it’s just a time for food, gifts, shopping and parties. Yes, all of that is indeed in it, but it’s secondary, and not the main reason, as so many people tend to believe today. Oh my people, we have to be so careful of the wiles and lies of the enemy, that even the birth of our Saviour, he’s trying to turn into nothing but another worldly buying spree and mammon celebration. I beg us not to let that happen. Let’s nip it in the bud right now. Though, truthfully, it’s more than a bud now, more like an opening flower, or young fruit, because over the last few years we have allowed Lucifer and his evil morons to hijack the Spirit of Christmas and point it in their lustful and worldly direction. Yes Friends, somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the true meaning of Christmas. But it’s not too late for us to take it back, and I’m imploring us to do so. You know we can, if we sincerely desire to, because nothing’s impossible if we work with the backing of our omnipotent God. But we first need to come to Him seriously and ask for His help, then go and diligently perform the necessary actions. And I’m chuckling here again, because I have no idea where I’m going with this. I don’t even have a Bit as yet. But it’s a style I like, where I just flow where the Spirit leads me. And having said that, there’s an interesting quote I’d planned to share much earlier, but now seems to be the time for it. It’s attributed to the Buddhist work, Bhaqavadqita, and says: ‘Unreal is action without discipline, charity without sympathy, ritual without devotion.’ And that’s all true Friends! We certainly can’t be running around doing stuff without some regard to discipline and focus to our actions. Neither can we be truly charitable without feeling some sympathy and empathy for those we’re helping. And this last one is the best, where we cannot have lots of ritual without a dollop of true devotion. But many of us do so anyway. And unfortunately that attitude can too often be seen in our churches and general worship today, where we do all sorts of outward actions, but as Jesus quotes Isaiah in our Bit: ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’ Oh Friends, our God is indeed a great God yes! And we truly realize this especially when we admire and are amazed at how He directs and organizes the small, everyday things in our lives. Remember, above there I said I had no clue where I was going, neither did I have a Bit? Well, lo and behold, a couple moments ago, I remembered Jesus’ rant against the hypocrite Pharisees, opened the Good Book, and quickly found our Bit for today. So how can I not say a heartfelt ‘Thank You Lord! eh, and try to praise and worship Him with a clean heart and right spirit? I’d be an even bigger hypocrite than the Pharisees. And sadly that’s a major problem in our churches to day my brethren, for our hearts are not sincerely in our worship. As Jesus so rightly continues after our Bit: ‘But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt.15:9) That’s an awful but real truth on the state of our worship today my fellow believers! Yes, if we’re honest, we’ll admit that sometimes it’s all about the outward show of being righteous. But please remember that God doesn’t judge us simply by our outward actions, but by the real motives hidden deep in our hearts and souls. So all the posing and attention grabbing we engineer, like the Pharisees did, might fool our fellow man and us, but it certainly won’t fool our Creator. So why don’t we just put away all that foolish fakery eh? And instead, let’s come before Almighty God with a true sense of reverence and unburden our hearts, the way He desires us to, so that we can find true Peace and LOVE in His understanding, forgiving, and merciful arms. Oh Friends, I can’t explain the wonderful peace and joy you feel when you put everything before our heavenly Father in prayer and thanksgiving. You truly have to experience it yourself to believe it. It’s truly like a weight, a burden is lifted off your shoulders, and your soul feels like it could soar right up to heaven on eagles’ wings. That’s how relieved and refreshed you feel when you unburden your heart to your Creator. So to end today, I’d like us all to take some time, come to the Lord in sincerity and truth, and just spill out all our hurt and pain, all the stuff that’s preventing us from truly being in sync with Him. You wouldn’t believe how blessed and rejuvenated you’ll feel afterwards. You’ll wonder why you never did it before. Be careful though, you might feel so light and flighty, that you might just try to fly. (smile) Much LOVE!…when you lay the burdens of your heart…at the feet of Jesus…then a whole new world of freedom and opportunity opens before you…
10 Dec 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: Christmas, complaining, confidence, enthusiasm, evildoers, fearful attitude, Glory be to God, good cheer, goodwill to man, high on the hog, humble servants, LOVE, Monday Morning, overcome evil with good, peace, peace on earth, rejuvenation, steadfast faith, the birth of Jesus, tribulation, vitality, warmongers
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Well Friends, it’s Monday once again… And all true believers shouted a most grateful ‘Glory be to God, who provides for His children in all situations!’ Now that’s gospel truth Friends! It’s also the kind of talk I like to hear on a Monday morning. (smile) By the way, our heavenly Father likes to hear it too, instead of the whining, the complaining and hang-dog looks He’s got to endure every week simply because we have to go out and labour for a living. All of us want to live high on the hog, but very few are willing to put in the time and effort that entails. But if getting up and going out today proves to be somewhat difficult, then please view it as one day closer to Christmas Day, 24 hours closer to that wonderful day when we celebrate the birth of our marvellous Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hopefully that will put you in a better frame of mind. And I don’t mean the food, the gifts and all the other ancillaries of the season, but the true meaning; that Jesus was born so that we could be saved, that we could be eventually washed clean of our dreadful sins and be reconciled to the Father. And all God’s people loudly proclaimed, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill to man!’ Oh Friends, we certainly rocking and rolling this morning! Now let’s not forget our favourite Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which raises our adrenalin and gets us in the mood to serve Jesus. So let’s sing it out, loud and clear, in perfect harmony, with plenty unadulterated joy in our clean hearts. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Yeh mih breddren, that was beautiful! And you know when we sing and pray and praise so sincerely, all the heavenly hosts sit up and take notice. The Father’s face lights up with a glorious, glowing smile, and Jesus shouts, ‘Awright!’ as He punches the air with a powerfully clenched right fist, glorying in the fact that His people are on the ball, on the move to bigger and better things. Now don’t laugh Friends, because that’s exactly the kind of gung-ho, rising to excellence move that heaven wants to see from us down here on earth. We still have lots of work to do though before Jesus comes back, and it looks like He might soon come, so enough of the pussyfooting, the laziness, the excuses, the pity parties that we so easily get enmeshed in. TODAY is a NEW DAY, my people! One in which we up the ante several notches. For though Jesus was proud of our singing this morning, in general He’s disappointed over our lazy, inept, lackadaisical, fearful attitude, letting the hard earned gains our forefathers made slip through our fingers like grains of sand, while not doing as much we ought to bring lost souls to Him. And remember that’s our basic purpose down here on earth my brethren; to bring the lost to Jesus, so that they can also believe in Him, and thus be redeemed, cleansed, sanctified and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and then dwell with Him in Peace and LOVE till eternity. That’s our earthly mission, not to kill ourselves running behind worldly pleasures and material possessions. Remember the Father doesn’t want to lose even one of His precious human creations to the evil fool Lucifer. And we have to admit, that we’re not doing such a hot job in bringing the lost to Christ, otherwise our world, nor its inhabitants, would be in such a sad, sinful, horrendous, ungodly, war-like mess. And I hope you also realize that it’s only believers who can improve the sorry state of our planet through our patient, but persistent, LOVING, Christ-like attitude. The warmongers and evildoers like things as they are, so it’s up to us to make a positive difference, to get the LOVE Revolution up to speed. It’s time we began fighting back with the fearlessness of a cornered animal, because we are indeed cornered by the both the physical and spiritual wickedness of this world. And as Bruh Paul says to the Roman church in our Bit: ‘Be not overcome of (by) evil, but overcome evil with good.’ That’s how Jesus did it my people, and that’s how he expects us to do it too. But we have to get a move on, for time is running out on us. And I’m thrilled to be able to close with some very soothing and encouraging words from our Leader, Saviour, Master, Advocate and Prince of Peace; Jesus Christ. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Oh Friends, Jesus said it all in those two sentences! So all I can do now is to plead with you to work with me in getting the LOVE Revolution happening as it should. Please, for our children’s sake, if not for ours. Much LOVE!…for any organization to thrive and grow…its followers must take their leaders directives seriously…and diligently practice them…even when it hurts to do so…
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